Figaro
by goldenalchemist
Summary: One-shot set between episodes 19 and 20. After his plans for Mr. Gold failed, August contemplates his looming fate as his condition worsens, but hope can come in small fluffy packages. A reunion of our favorite stranger and a certain mischievous black and white cat.


**Yay a new story and it's not a massive undertaking, multi chaptered beast. I am working on Panem's Viater as well as Vampire Dusk and should have both updated by the end of this week. For now we have a new fandom to obsess over. Once Upon a Time, so what do you guys think of the finale? What a cliffhanger I can't wait until next fall. In the meantime here is a one shot set between episodes 19 and 20, so it obviously has spoilers for those episodes, so if you don't know who the Stranger is go watch the rest of season one. It picks up right after the Rumpel August showdown so just end the episode when August is sliding down the tree.**

**Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Once Upon a Time, it belongs to its creators and not a small fanfic writer like me**

**As usual reviews are a loverly loverly thing**

**# # #**

He slowly sunk down the rough tree bark. He placed his hand upon the thin line of blood from the sharp side of the dagger Mr. Gold had held to his neck only moments before. He saw Rumpelstiltskin limp away chuckling softly to himself. He sighed and leaned his head against the tree trunk.

His plan to get the Dark One to reverse his condition by force had ended terribly. He realized now it probably wasn't the best plan he had ever come up with but what else could he do? He was running out of time.

His head drooped and he glanced down at his leg. He reached down and gripped the smooth leather of his pants. Pulling upward he revealed the new wood that his body was reverting to.

For almost three decades he had lived with his memories of the Enchanted Forest and his father, Geppetto the master carver and tinkerer, who had lovingly crafted him from wood. He remembered his adventures as the puppet with no strings and the many close calls he had encountered. He remembered his conscious, the cricket Jiminy. He was only seven when the Evil Queen's curse had taken effect and his father, fearing he would not survive the curse due to his 'unusual' birth had sent him through the wardrobe into this 'land without magic'.

He had taken the princess and found a cafe by the side of the road. The kind owner had called the authorities but had looked at him strangely when he had told her his name was Pinocchio. She saw his clothes and assumed he was playing a game with her. She had a book of fairy tales in her car she had kept for her youngest daughter and let him read it while they waited for the police.

His eyes were popping out of his sockets as he looked at the titles. How did this world know about the Queen Snow White and her husband King James? And just how did Red get into this book? He knew many of these people from the war council meetings his father had taken him to, but one title held more interest than any of the others.

_The Adventures of Pinocchio by_ _Carlo Collodi_

He flipped through the pages until he reached the story and read it. It wasn't exactly his story but it was eerily similar and many of the places he had been to with Jiminy were in the story. After he had finished reading the story he approached the woman who had lent him the book and asked her what it was.

"Don't you know the tale of Pinocchio!" she had exclaimed in shock "It's a classic of children's literature, all about a little marionette that wanted to become a real boy but his constant lying prevented him from doing so. Now, are you going to tell me your real name or will I have to watch your nose get bigger?"

His hand had instinctively flown to his nose, fearing that it had grown again, but of course it hadn't changed, he was a real boy. He didn't know how this world knew his story but it was obvious he needed a different name here. His eyes wandered to chart hanging upon the wall and saw a large word in bold print.

_August_

Just then a young couple entered the cafe and the owner excused herself to seat them.

"Table or booth?" she asked them.

"A booth please," the man replied politely as his girlfriend clung to his arm.

"August," he had said as she returned. "August Booth."

It was ironic. Since he had come to this world and had seen what it was like, he had yearned for something to prove his time in the Enchanted Forest wasn't all in his head. For something, anything, magical to happen. Unfortunately, now it was.

He sat back unwilling to look at himself and put his head in his hands. If this kept up...he didn't really want to think about it. Every day it was getting worse, the pain lasted longer and more of his flesh would disappear. And when the process was complete, would he be a lifeless puppet, his soul gone? Or would he still be in this wooden body, frozen forever in this timeless town? He shook his head. He couldn't give up hope, there was still Emma. The princess of the Enchanted Forest, the sheriff of Storybrooke, the savior. But this world had taken its effect on her too. She was cynical and straightforward. Everything had to have facts, figures and statistics. She wouldn't go on faith alone.

He gingerly pushed himself to his feet. No sense in hanging around in this old forest. He would figure out a plan for Emma tomorrow, for now he only wanted to get back to his bedroom at Granny's Inn. He walked through the late night streets of Storybrooke, enjoying the cool air upon his face. He was, perhaps too late, beginning to enjoy the simple things.

As he was walking through a deserted ally, a useful shortcut he had discovered, he heard a shuffling coming from a pile of old cardboard boxes. He paused; his experience in this world had made him extremely wary. He reached for his knife beneath his coat and readied himself.

Suddenly one of the boxes fell down and in his attempt to dodge, he put too much pressure on his wooden leg. With a startled yell, he fell backwards. He looked up to find out who the perpetrator was when a tiny meow rang into the air.

He looked upon the box pile and standing upon it was a tiny kitten. He pushed himself up on his elbows and stared at the baby cat. It was caked in mud and was tiny, probably no more than six weeks old, but for some reason it seemed somewhat...familiar. He sheathed his knife and encouraged the kitten to come closer.

"Come here little kitty," he said flexing his fingers to try to get it to come closer. The kitten however was frightened and was keeping its distance. Pinocchio had an idea; he took off his glove and reached into his pocket. To his delight felt the bag of beef jerky he had bought a few days ago.

He took out a piece and after cracking it into a smaller portion, held it out to the baby cat. The kitten cautiously came a few steps closer. It sniffed the piece, then snatched it from his hands and hid behind one of the fallen boxes. After a few moments the kitten poked his head out. It saw he was watching it and dove behind the box again. Pinocchio couldn't help but laugh at the little cat's antics.

He set several more pieces of jerky upon the ground, making a line to his hands. The kitten hungrily gobbled up the pieces until it was in his lap trying to eat a larger piece.

"Hungry little guy aren't you?" he said chuckling as the kitten proceeded to 'attack' his hand for more food. "Where's your family?"

He peered around the boxes but saw no signs of other cats.

"So we're both alone," he whispered quietly. The kitten mewed loudly and somersaulted while attacking his pants. The kitten was too small to be on his own in the streets. He knew he could take the kitten to the animal shelter but it was closed by this hour. All he knew was that he couldn't leave him.

"Alright little guy, you can spend tonight with me then tomorrow I'll take you to David," he said as he caught the playful thing.

At first it squirmed and Pinocchio thought he would have to leave him but it didn't take long for him to settle in his arms. By the time he had reached the front door the kitten had fallen asleep and Pinocchio couldn't help but smile. He tucked him into his coat deciding to sneak him in. Granny didn't approve of pets and forbid them in her rooms, but by this point in his life, smuggling a kitten into his room for one night wasn't anything.

He turned the knob and opened the door slowly to avoid the loudest cracks. He peered around the foyer and to his relief didn't see the overbearing older woman. He quietly started up the stairs.

"Getting in quite late aren't we Mr. Booth?"

He flinched and turned to see Mrs. Lucas staring at him with disapproval from the shady doorway.

"Yes but not as late as your granddaughter I see," he said playfully.

"Don't try to change the subject Mr. Booth, You're trying to sneak something up to your room and I demand to know what it is," she said.

Pinocchio couldn't help but sigh. He was the first long guest to stay here in 28 years; you'd think they would be a bit more hospitable. He smiled easily, a lie coming to his lips so quickly it would make Jiminy's head spin.

"Just taking some much needed refreshment up to my room Ma'am," he said smoothly. "They had some left over spirits from the party for Mary Margret so I agreed to take some off their hands, before Leroy could sneak away with it."

He would have gotten away with it if the kitten had not decided at that moment to utter a small mewl and pop it's head out of his jacket.

"Mr. Booth is that a cat you're bringing into my establishment? You know our policy, no pets allowed," she said crossing his arms.

He sent a glare down to the sleepy kitten.

"I found him alone in an alley on my way here, he's too little to survive on his own but the shelter was closed so I was only going to watch him tonight," he explained.

She continued to glare but with a sigh she began to rub her temples.

"Are you sure it's only for one night?" she asked.

"Of course," he quickly replied.

"Alright just for tonight," she acquiesced.

"Thank you Mrs. Lucas," he said.

"Just make sure it doesn't make a mess of things," she huffed, and then smiled. "I doubt you'll have anything for him, I'll see if I can find something for a litter box and I should have some cat food in the cellar, lord knows Ruby bought home enough strays."

Pinocchio smiled, she really was the sweet granny who had given him treats during the long hours of the council meetings. He unlocked his door and slipped inside, laying his jacket over the desk chair. He set the kitten down on the hardwood floor.

"Alright let's get you some water and clean you up, gotta make sure you really are a kitten and not a rat," he teased.

The kitten mewled and began to explore. He went to his bathroom and after filling a coffee cup with water, he grabbed a washcloth.

When he walked back to his bed he saw Granny had already returned and had placed a small pan of sand upon the floor.

"I sure hope he knows how to use a litter box if he's a stray," she said in a worried tone.

As if in answer the little kitten jumped into the plastic container and began to dig around in the dirt.

"Huh, little guy must have come from someone's home to know that, maybe he'll find his owner, though anyone who lets a kitten that young out alone doesn't deserve to have animals," she said gruffly.

Pinocchio looked at the kitten curiously, how _did_ it know how to use a litter box?

"Maybe he just got loose," he said slowly.

"Well you'll find out tomorrow, you should wash him up, I can't even tell what color he could be in this state!" she exclaimed shaking her head. "Well good night Mr. Booth."

"Night Mrs. Lucas," he replied as she exited the room.

"Alright you, come here before you track dirt all over the room," he said catching the cat before he went under the bed.

He took the protesting kitten into the bathroom and began to wipe the dirt off.

"Hold still, silly cat," he said as the kitten squirmed to get free. "There you see? You're actually quite handsome with your black and whi-" he stopped and looked more closely at the kitten.

He could see he had a black nose and a white chest and paws, with a small white tip on his tail like he had dipped it in a paint bucket.

"Black and white tuxedo..." he said in wonder and he suddenly realized why this kitten had seemed vaguely familiar. Why he couldn't leave him.

"Figaro?" he whispered.

The kitten paid him no attention but that was to be expected. Figaro had always been impatient. He was sure this was the same cat. He was in Storybrooke after all. What unhappier ending could a cat have than being alone on the streets.

He finished cleaning him off then set him gently on the ground. The kitten boldly ran back into the bedroom towards the small food dish Granny had left for him. Pinocchio watched him play with a shoe upon the floor, chewing on the laces and he remembered how playful Figaro had been in the workshop back home.

His father had found the cat alone in the snow and nursed it back to health while he was still carving him. If anyone got into more trouble than him it was this small cat. He grinned as he remembered how many times Figaro had almost knocked over Cleo's fish bowl.

A sudden spasm of pain hit him and he gasped from the pain. He clutched the door way as his leg felt like it was being lit on fire. He limped over towards the bed and tried not to make any noise despite the intense pain. Despite his best efforts, several grunts of pain escaped past his clenched teeth. He panted as he waited for the sickening sensation to pass.

As sudden softness forced his eyes open in surprise to see Figaro under his chin, curling into a small ball. He lifted one hand up to him, appreciating this tiny gesture of comfort more than anything else and rode out the pain.

After several agonizing minutes the blaring pain faded. He let go of his leg breathing heavily. Figaro mewled and snuggled his head further onto Pinocchio's shoulder. He continued to stoke the soft fur, ignoring the terrifying sensation of numbness that now went up to his knee. His eyes still watery from the pain closed with a sigh of contentment as fatigue washed over him.

# # #

His eyes opened slowly and he was shocked to feel something on his chest but as he raised his head he saw it was only Figaro. He smiled as he relaxed his head on the pillow, but it was too late. Figaro stood up stretching and began to meow.

"Alright I'm getting up Figaro," he muttered sleepily.

There was a soft knock on his door.

"Hang on," he called making sure his wooden parts were covered.

Pinocchio limped over to the door, Figaro slipping in between his legs and he saw Granny standing in his doorway.

"Mrs. Lucas, how are you this early morning," he said groggily.

"I was just making sure you were getting that cat out of here early, before Ruby finds out about it, she'd never let you get rid of it if she knew," she explained.

He looked down in dismay at the black and white kitten. He might not have been able to speak to him, but Figaro was the only living piece of his home world he had. How could he dump him at the shelter?

"Well...actually I wanted to talk about to you about that, I was thinking about keeping him," he said slowly.

"I fully support you August," a voice called from the hallway.

"Ruby! What are you doing up?" Granny exclaimed.

"I couldn't let you make him get rid of that kitten when he's obviously so fond of it!" she cried, her red highlights showing brightly in the dawn's early light.

"And how do you know he's fond of it, he found it last night!" her grandmother cried in exasperation.

"Because he already gave him a name, I heard him saying it last night and I saw the little sweetheart curled up under his chin," Ruby said crouching down to pet Figaro.

"How did you know about that?" August said slowly crossing his arms.

"You think I wouldn't make sure some blonde bimbo wasn't in here with you?" she purred and Pinocchio had to suppress a grin. If only she knew she was flirting with the boy that put a whoopee cushion in her chair during one of the council meetings.

"Instead I see this adorable little guy," she said as Figaro purred and rubbed against her hands.

Granny sighed, "Did you name it," she asked curtly.

"Yeah, he's Figaro."

She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

"Alright fine but listen, if he shreds any of those drapes, the two of you are out of here, understood?"

He nodded and Figaro began to rub her legs. As she left Pinocchio could have sworn he saw her smile.

"Oh this is so exciting, he'll need kitten food, toys, litter, treats, feathers, tinkle balls, soft blankets," Ruby gushed. "I'm can't believe we have a kitten in the house."

"Thanks Ruby, but can you do me a favor," Pinocchio said. She only looked at him. "Please don't come into my room in the middle of the night again."

"Don't know if I can promise that, you might ask me in here one of these days," she said suggestively. She then kissed Figaro and blew him one from the doorway before leaving the room.

_First order of business, a deadbolt_, he thought then sat on the bed. He looked at the old clock on the wall and saw it was almost 8:15. He rubbed his leg in anticipation. A tiny meow at his feet made him look down. Figaro was sitting there looking at him with a look that was almost knowing.

Pinocchio reached down and picked him up. Figaro settled down on his chest purring reassuringly and as he stroked his soft fur he realized he no longer felt alone.

**Awww, sweet fluffy fluffkins. I actually wrote this due to the fact I just got a black and white kitten named...you guessed it Figaro. As I type he is sticking his little pin pricks into my flesh. **

**Thank you for reading!**


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